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-(N0 Model.)

T. W. TERRY.

L TTER ENVELOPE SHEET. No. 336,446. Patented Feb. 16, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. TERRY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LETTER ENVELOPE SHEET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,4e6, dated February 16, 1886.

Application filed May 23, 1885. Serial No. 166,477. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. TERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letter Envelope- Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a postal-sheet that embraces an envelope, a postage-stamp, and a letter-sheet, all conveniently arranged for use without further manipulation than is required to fold and seal the package for mailing.

Heretofore combined letter-sheets and envelopes have been provided with lines or notches on which the sheet and its securing flap or flaps have been folded, and such sheets have also been provided with a line or lines of perforations, through which the package could be opened without the use of an instrument and without liability of injury to the writing upon or within said sheet. Combined 1etter-sheets and envelopes have also had a postage-stamp arranged across the line of sealing, so as to be canceled and destroyed when the package is properly opened, said postagestamp being either printed upon the outer side of said sheet, across the line of seal, by

the government, or attached at that point by means of an adhesive substance when the package is closed for mailing. So far as I am aware, however, the fold-indicating lines with which postal-sheets have hitherto been pro- These fold-indicating lines, when arranged according to my invention, are placed on opposite sides of the sheet, so as not to be observed, however, after the package is sealed; and they preferably differ in color from each other and from the sheet on which they are placed, so as to be easily distinguished. By substituting plainly-marked lines for the notches that have sometimes been made in the edges of the sheet I avoid any liability of tearing, which is so apt to occur at such notches. Again, instead of arranging a series of perforations directly on a line with the upper edge of the sheet at its junction with the head-flap, as hitherto practiced, I locate said perforations transversely across the flap, above or beyond the edge of the sheet, thus affording ample space for folding over the sides of the sheet without crowding its upper edge in contact with the line of separation through said perforations. It is obvious that this also contributes materially to the formation of a neat folded package. This effect is further enhanced and the rapid and neat folding of the package facilitated by forming the head-flap with inner concaved corners, as hereinafter more fully described, the curved lines of said inner eoncaved eorners being made'to merge gradually with the straight upper edge of the sheet, thereby avoiding abrupt projections and angles that are liable to become torn or mutilated in handling the sheet.

' Another distinguishing feature of my invention is the location of a postage-stamp across the transverse line of perforations that are formed in the head-flap beyond the edge of the letter-sheet body, said postage-stamp being arranged at right angles to the line of perforations, and partly on the body of the sheet and partly on the flap, so as to be torn across and canceled when the package is opened by tearing or cutting through the series of perforations.

I am aware that it is not new to arrange or attach a postage-stamp in such a way that it will be destroyed by opening the letter or its envelope, such effect having hitherto been accomplished by locating said stamp at the extremity of the flap and across the line of sealing or gumming; but this arrangement of the postage-stamp differs from that contemplated in my invention, wherein the stamp is not located at the end of the flap across the line of sealing or adhesion, but at right angles to and across a transverse series of perforations extending across the head'flap beyond the upper edge of the sheet, said perforations being adapted to form a line upon which the flap is capable of being folded without crowding upon the upper turned-in edges of the letter-sheet, and through which the sealed package can be opened without spoiling the written matter.

The several features of my invention are clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved postal sheet or combined letter and envelope, showing the inner. side. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the left edge of the sheet folded to its perpendicular indicating} line upon the face of the sheet. Fig. 3 represents the sheet with both sides folded in, the right edge of the sheet being folded down to its perpendicular indicating line on the back of the left side. Fig. 4 shows the sheet with both side edges folded in and the bottom edge folded to or near the top. Fig. 5 represents the rear side of the completed folded package, and Fig. 6 is a face view of my combined letter-sheet and envelope folded and sealed for mailing.

The postal-sheet represented in the drawings consists of a rectangular body, A, and a head-flap, B, having a curved outline, a d site side.

similar in general form to the ordinary closing-flap of a common envelope. The body of the sheet on its inner side may be provided with transversely-ruled lines a a, as usual, or such lines may be dispensed with,or any other arrangement of lines substituted, as preferred. At or near the head of the sheet A, or on the inner side of the flap B, or at any other convenient point, may be arranged printed directions for using the postal-sheet. These rinted directions can, however, be omitted. If desired,the name and address of the writer can be printed at the head of the sheet,or elsewhere thereon.

On the face of the postal-sheet, and coincident with the upper straight edge thereof, is a transverse line, b, that marks the junction of the sheet-body and its head'flap. It will be observed that the curved sides of the flap B, at the lower orinner corner of said flap, are concaved, as shown at c 0, so as to merge gradually with the straight upper edge of the sheet-body without forming any abrupt angle therewith that would be likely to afford a point where the sheet might become torn if carelessly handled. The concaved corners c 0 also enable the edges and folds of the sheet to come together neatly,without crowding or bulging,when the packet is closed.

Above the transverse line b, and consequently beyond the upper edge of the sheetbody and upon the headflap B, is a transverse series or line of perforations, d, that are preferably formed with a break or unperforated portion in the center, for the purpose hereinafter explained. These perforations afford a convenient point for readily opening the sealed postal-sheet, by cutting or tearing through said perforated line, without en croachi upon or endangering the written contents of the sheet, while the location of the line of perforations beyond the edge of the sheet enables the package to be folded closely and neatly along and in said line of perforations without crowding upon or against the upper inwardly-folded edges of the sheet.

Below the transverse line b and at right angles therewith is a perpendicular line, 6, that is preferably placed a little to the right of the center, as shown in Fig. 1, and may extend downward any desired distance. This line 6 indicates the distance to which the left edge of the sheet-body A is to be brought in folding the sheet into a package of proper form, the line of fold on that side being thus brought vertically beneath the left end of the line of perforations d, or thereabout.

Upon the rear left side of the sheet-body A, as shown in Fig. 2, is aperpendicular line, f, to indicate the distance to which the right edge of the sheet-body is to be folded after the left edge has been folded down to its indicating-line e, the line of fold on the right side being thus brought vertically beneath the right end of the perforations d, or approximately so, and parallel with the oppo- The vertical indicating-lines e f are ruled or otherwise formed in different colorsone, for instance, being red and the other bluein order that they may be readily distinguished; and for the same reason they also differ in color from the sheeton which they are marked.

In folding this postal-sheet after it has been written upon, the left edge of the body A is first folded to and parallel with the indicating-line e, as shown in Fig. 2, and the right edge of the sheet-body is then folded over to and parallel with the indicating-line f, as shown in Fig. 3. The bottom edge of the sheet-is then folded up to or near the top, at about the line of the perforations d, or slightly below the same, as shown in Fig. 4.; and, finally, the flap B is folded down along and in said line of perforations, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. WVhen folded down, the flap B is secured by its gummed edge 9, or by any other convenient means.

The postage-stamp O is preferably printed on the back of the postal-sheet, partly on the bodyA and partly on the flap B, and is located across the central unperforated interval in the line of perforations d, whereby it is preserved from accidental mutilation. The line of per forations may, however, extend across the stamp, if preferred.

The sealed package is opened by inserting side and tearing along the perforated line d, which forms one edge of the folded package. By this act the postage-stamp is canceled and its contents.

What I claim is 1. A letter envelopesheet provided with a flap having curved sides and inner concaved corners that merge with the adjacent straight edge of the sheet without forming sharp angles, said flap being provided with a transverse line of perforations near but not at the line of junction between the sheet and flap, substantially as described.

2. A letter envelope-sheet provided with a flap having curved sides and inner concaved corners that merge with the adjacent transverse straight edge of the sheet-body, said flap having a transverse line of perforations above or beyond its junction with the sheetbody, to indicate a line of fold, and the body of said sheet being provided on opposite sides the postalsheet laid open without injury to ICC the finger or any suitable instrument at the W with vertical lines differing in color from the In testimony whereof I have affixed my sheet and from each other, to indicate the dissignature in presence of two witnesses. tance to which the opposite side edges of the sheet-body are to be folded, the back of said THOMAS W. TERRY. sheet and its flap being provided with a postage-stamp that is disposed across the trans- Witnesses:

verse line of perforations, substantially as de- ALBERT H. NoRRIs,

scribed. J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

